16 years for a sex beast

Steve Dillon, 51, of Riley Lane, Bradshaw, Halifax, was found guilty of seven counts of indecent assault, four counts of gross indecency and two counts of rape by a jury following a trial at Bradford Crown Court.

Yesterday he was told by Judge Robert Bartfield at Leeds Crown Court that he would serve 16 years for the offences, which were committed between 1993 and 2001.

Dillon first began assaulting the girl and forcing her to perform sexual acts on him when she was 10, back in 1993. The assaults became worse as she got older, culminating in her being raped for the first time when she was 16.

He continued to rape her until she was almost 18.

He also assaulted a second victim, who was 12 or 13 at the time, by forcing her to kiss him. When she told members of her family about the incident, they thought she was making it up.

Judge Bartfield told Dillon he had been a “coward and liar.”

He said: “No child should have to experience a childhood like these girls have had. You denied the offences to the jury and the probation officers and my view is that you have not got the courage to admit what you did and want to go on telling the same lies you have always told,” the Judge said.

Detective Inspector Gail Lawrie, head of Calderdale District Safeguarding Unit, said: ”We welcome today’s sentence given to this individual.

“These were serious crimes against two young girls.

“The suffering of one in particular spanned many years.

“Such offences against children are very frightening and will have a marked impact for the rest of their lives.

“My officers have worked extremely hard in bringing this man to justice and I can only hope that today’s verdict brings his victims some form of closure,” she added.

Dillon will be forced to sign the sex offenders register for the rest of his life and may not work with children once he is released from prison.